Shared Reading Improves Mood and Decreases Pain

Earlier this year Billington et al. from the University of Liverpool published the results of their study looking at the effects of shared reading (SR) on people with chronic pain. The shared reading model they used was the one employed by the charity “The Reader“. “The Reader is an award-winning charitable social enterprise working to connect people with great literature through shared reading. We’re here to bring books to life, creating welcoming environments in which personal feeling is recognised and valued, forming vital connections between people and literature through which everyone can feel more alive.”

The researchers concluded “Qualitative evidence indicates SR’s potential as an alternative or long-term follow-up or adjunct to CBT in bringing into conscious awareness areas of emotional pain otherwise passively suffered by patients with chronic pain. In addition, quantitative analysis, albeit of limited pilot data, indicated possible improvements in mood/pain for up to 2?days following SR. Both findings lay the basis for future research involving a larger sample size.”

The preliminary findings are encouraging. There may be other factors such as distraction, social bonding and the benefits of having regular scheduled activities that may also play a part in improving the well-being of the participants.